Quotes

""Ethereum’s smart-contract architecture has attracted a huge wave of would-be economic engineers, focused not on Bitcoin-style individual sovereignty, but new incentive structures they hope can foster a more balanced and healthy society. Two key examples include Glen Weyl’s "Radical Markets" theories, and the nascent “regenerative economics” discourse spearheaded by Gitcoin founder Kevin Owocki and others. It was in that context that a new Twitter account declaring itself “The Blockchain Socialist” appeared on my radar two or three years ago. An accompanying podcast welcomed truly transformative figures like artists Rhea Myers, Ethereum cofounder Amir Taaki and Sci-hub’s Alexandra Elbakyan, who saw the utility of crypto to their widely varied activist projects. The Blockchain Socialist became a nexus for discussions of American economic imperialism and the left-wing case for privacy in particular, two pillars that have helped define positions outside of crypto’s largely libertarian mainstream."

- By David Z. Morris [1]

Towards a Polarpunk synthesis

"Solarpunk ideals and Regen worldviews, exemplified by the sun, offer a compelling antidote to crypto’s tendency toward fleeting experimentation. These frameworks envision systems grounded in long-term sustainability, where the value created not only persists but actively regenerates, nourishing the ecosystems it touches. They urge us to move beyond breaking things for the sake of innovation and imagine a future where experimentation is purposeful and enduring.

Lunarpunks, exemplified by the moon, are focused on privacy and resilience in preparation for potential conflicts over digital freedom, provide complementary insights. Their dedication to long-term thinking rooted in cypherpunk ethics highlights the need for vigilance and adaptability.

Dr. Paul Dylan Ennis envisions a transparent, utopian society inspired by solarpunk ideals, where collaboration and sustainability are paramount, yet fortified by the vigilant darkness of lunarpunk values, which emphasize privacy and resilience. Together, these movements - what Dr. Ennis terms “Polarpunk” - offer a holistic vision of hope with pragmatism against Glitter Nihilism."

- Ann Brody [2]

Key Resources

See also: The Structured Bibliography on P2P and the Commons

Articles

• Ian Wright on the Blockchain as the Material Foundation for Algorithmic Socialism: "about the potential application of blockchain-like technologies to building socialist institutions."

* Socialism and the Blockchain. By Steve Huckle and Martin White. Future Internet 2016, 8(4), 49 : "...blockchain technologies are not just a Libertarian tool, they also enhance Socialist forms of governance. "

• Political Imaginaries of Blockchain Projects

• How Can Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology Play a Role in Building Social and Solidarity Finance. Brett Scott.

• Cryptoeconomics as Commons Economics

Books

• Blockchain Radicals. Joshua Dávila. Repeater Books, August 2023 [3]

• Platform Socialism

Podcasts

• = Influential podcast for the progressive crypto commons community, maintained by [[Joshua Dávila\\ – aka The Blockchain Socialist. [4]

• Akseli Virtanen on Designing Post-Capitalism with the Economic Space Agency: "If you’re a leftist interested in the blockchain space, it’s absolutely imperative that you keep up with the work of ECSA."

• Michel Bauwens on Commons Based Peer Production on the Blockchain

[5]

• Jonathan Beller on How To Finance the Post-Capitalist Revolution

• Series: Overthrowing the Network State
  • Primavera De Filippi on the Critique of the Network State Concept of Balaji Srivanasan
  • Glen Weyl on Overthrowing the Network State